The Walnut Tree
by Dani Marie
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy was always a loner. The Lone Wolf, as he was often called. He didn't have any friends, nor did he care to associate with the other students anyway. But when he starts his sixth year at Hogwarts, things change. Spoilers
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Lone Wolf**

Scorpius Malfoy always followed in his father's footsteps. He was a good child and didn't get into trouble. He—

Oh to hell with it. That's what most people want to hear when they think of the Malfoys. Rich, the very definition of perfection. But not me. I, Scorpius Malfoy, am far from conventional. I go wherever the wind takes me. Poetry is my way of expression, and whatever you do, I'll do the opposite. I don't care for petty things; I love nature. I've taken up Muggle picture taking, which of course, my father isn't happy about.

Speaking of my father… Do you recall that war your parents would talk to you about (might I add, bored you senseless in the process?) my dad played a rather major role in it; though he wasn't on the good side of things like that Harry Potter bloke you've heard of. He was Draco Malfoy: part of the Slytherin house, paler than a ghost with hair to match, and once a Death Eater—well, almost. He wasn't good enough for them, so he didn't really belong anywhere. So I suppose he wasn't really good or bad, but that didn't stop people's opinions. They always said, "Even though he didn't become a Death Eater, if he had a chance, he'd surely jump for it." My dad tried to ignore these accusations after the war, but wasn't so lucky in preventing them from running over my life.

Though I take everything in stride now, I wasn't so a few years ago. When I first arrived at Hogwarts, the students judged me as soon as they heard my last name. Not because of me, but just because I was a Malfoy. I know; I don't see the logic either. Everyone else seemed to, though. And so that's how I was, a loner, or as some people called me, _The Lone Wolf_. I didn't really take as an insult, but more of who I was. I think it annoyed the students even more just because I wasn't bothered by their attempts to break me down. After that, they just left me alone, which suited me just fine. I didn't need friends to make me happy. Or so I thought.

And so, this is where my story begins, though it starts in the middle of my life, it is definitely the beginning of my sixth year at Hogwarts, and the year that defined who I really was, or maybe who I always was, but just hidden behind a mask.

"Now Scorpius, you know how important this year is for you, don't you?" Dad asked me as we walked towards Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"Dad, I've told you just yesterday!" I growled, losing my patience.

He'd been nagging me about it since fifth year started. I've long since tired from hearing about it.

"I know, I just want to be sure you've got it into your head how important it is for you to not mess it up!" Dad replied.

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, adjusting the camera around my neck.

"And must you continue using that bloody Muggle object? You're a wizard for Merlin's sake!"

We were now at the platform. I kept a firm grasp on my trunk, and frowned slightly.

"I'll see you at Christmas, dad," I said before going into the barrier.

When I finally arrived on the train, there were plenty available compartments and I chose one towards the back with a slightly larger window so I could take some nice scenery pictures. I put my trunk above my seat and settled in for the ride. No one ever came into my compartment, so I knew I wouldn't be bothered. Soon enough, while I was watching the people pass by from my window, they started to disappear from view, and buildings started passing by.

I leaned my head against the window to catch up on my sleep. I know, not the most interesting start to my story, but just wait. I had almost nodded off when I heard the screech of the door open and close.

"Is it all right if I sit here?" a girl's voice asked.

I looked up to see a girl with bushy red hair smiling down at me. I knew who she was, of course: one of the many Weasleys. Rose Weasley, actually. I had no idea why she was in my compartment, nor did I particularly want her there.

"I'd rather you didn't," I replied.

"Oh, alright. I suppose I can go sit with my brothers. It was…er, nice talking to you," she replied, that smile still plastered on her face. It wasn't a fake smile…just strange.

I watched her leave, completely bewildered by her strange motives. I was sure she was dared by her brothers or something to come in here. That's the only reason any of them come into my compartment, and it didn't happen often in the five years I've gone on the train so far. After shaking off this strange start of the train ride, I pulled my camera to my face and started clicking away at the hills passing by the windows. Soon enough, we had arrived at Hogsmeade Station and I descended the train and glanced around for an empty carriage. I went into one which I thought was empty, but was quite surprised when I saw the same bushy-haired girl already occupying it. I made a move to leave to find another when she turned and smiled that strange smile.

"You're welcome to stay, if you'd like. I don't think you'll find another carriage now," she told me.

Surely she must have gone mad to ask me to stay in the same carriage as her. I gave her a befuddled look, but nodded and took a seat in the opposite corner from her. As we were pulled along, I was glancing out the window, trying to figure her out, when she tapped me on the shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you carry around that Muggle camera wherever you go?" she asked, looking slightly worried, as if I'd bite her head off or something.

"I like taking pictures," I replied, turning back to the window.

"Could you…show me how sometime?" I looked over at her, trying to make sense of this whole ordeal. What was she playing at?

"Who dared you to be friendly with me? Was it your cousins?" I demanded, squinting at her as if to read her.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just want to get to know you," she replied, smiling slightly. "I want to know the real story behind Scorpius Malfoy. Not that rubbish other students have talked about."

To say the least, I was confused. No one ever talked to me, let alone wanted to. Her doing exactly what everyone didn't want to puzzled me more than anything. I couldn't decide whether she was just playing some idiotic game or being true to her words. I did know that I couldn't trust her; I didn't trust anyone, especially the ones who wanted to "get to know me."

"Well, I don't want to get to know you," I told her snidely.

"I never asked you to. All I was trying to do was be friendly towards you, which is more than you could ever say. No wonder you don't have any friends. You're so rude and conceited," Rose snapped, her eyes blazing.

She crossed her arms and turned towards the window.

When we arrived at the castle, she jumped out of the carriage and sped off towards her friends, talking avidly as they walked away. I shook my head and started off towards the castle doors, my camera in hand.

The start of the year feast was just as boring as always. I sat beside my fellow Slytherins, sulking as the Sorting Hat roared in the background. Who did Rose think she was, yelling at me for speaking to me? As if it was my fault she decided to talk to me! I looked over at the Gryffindor table, where I spotted her mass of bushy hair immediately. She seemed to be listening to the Sorting Hat with enjoyment, but she turned around when the voice stopped. She looked up to see me, and quickly looked away. After a moment, she looked up again to see me still watching her, and she stared intently back at me. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity, glaring at each other angrily, until one of her friends started talking to her. She averted her gaze for the rest of the night, but I still glanced at her every once in a while, just to see her face.

As I laid in my bed that night, I couldn't help but wonder what her motives really were. What if she _was_ being sincere? Well, then I had been a real arse to her, and that made me a bit uneasy. I didn't want to seem like a huge prick, but I really didn't think she was all that serious about knowing me. Well, I supposed it wouldn't hurt to return the friendly greetings towards her.

And so the next day I decided it'd be only fair to apologize for being so rude to her. At breakfast that morning, I went over my career options with Professor Zabini and received my schedule for the year, which included Potions, Astronomy, Defence against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration.

About a half hour later, I entered my Potions class to find that only about eight students decided to continue with it, Rose being one of them. After taking a deep breath, I sat next to her, giving her a smile. She didn't return it, and took to staring blankly at the book in front of her.

"Rose," I whispered, as our teacher was speaking to class and I didn't favour getting into trouble my first day back. I'd give it a few weeks first. "I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. I shouldn't have been so rude to you."

"Is that so," she snapped back. "You don't sound very sincere."

"What do you mean? I _am_ sorry!" I told her, my temper rising again, as it always seemed to when I was around her.

"Seems to me you're just trying to get into my good graces," she said, turning to me. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I have a class to pay attention to."

I stared at her in disbelief. What was she trying to do? Have me kiss her feet? "Stupid toad," I grumbled.

"Excuse me! What did you call me?" she hissed, her brow furrowed.

"Stupid toad," I repeated, louder this time. So loud, in fact, that Professor Zabini overheard. So much for not getting into trouble.

"Malfoy? Weasley? Is there a problem?" he asked.

"No, sir," I grumbled.

"Then shut your mouths and pay attention," Professor Zabini said.

When class was over, I was last to exit the classroom and I saw Rose sitting on a bench with a book. Taking this as a chance to snap at her, I sauntered over and sat down.

"Go away, Scorpius," she said without looking up from her book.

"Look, Rose. I apologised, didn't I? No need to be rude about it," I said to her, prying the book from her hands and closing it.

"You just lost my page! You insufferable little—"

I put my finger to her lips. "I'd rather you not say what I am. Just accept my apology and we can be free to go our separate ways."

"Accept your apology? I have no intention of doing so, Malfoy. Just because you're the Lone Wolf or what ever they call you these days, doesn't mean you can get your way all the time and do what ever the bloody hell you want!" she shouted, pointing a finger in my face.

"You've obviously—"

"Got things all wrong?" she suggested, interrupting me. "Tell me, Scorpius. Why is it you have no friends? Is it because you're too good for us? Hmm?"

"I don't have any friends because they've judged me by my name," I countered, moving closer to her so I could see her eye to eye. "Not by me. No one gave me a chance, and no one will."

"Oh really? And what was I doing if I wasn't giving you a chance?" she hissed, and I could feel her warm breath on my face.

"You were trying to be the bloody prefect you were and felt pity for my loneliness," I answered, not moving my eyes from hers.

"You don't know who I am at all!" she said, but didn't deny any of what I said.

"I think I do," I whispered, moving away from her face. "You're your mother's daughter. Perfect at everything you do. The best grades, the best ideas, the best family, the best life. Everyone knows that."

She looked at me, and for the first time I saw something different in her eyes. Almost a slight sadness in their brown colour. "You're quick to judge aren't you? Funny how when others judge you by your name, you get angry that they don't know who you really are. Yet you know nothing about me except what you've heard, and you go by that," she said quietly. She took one last look at me, picked up her book from the ground, and slowly walked away.

_Author's Note: You can keep up with all the updates at the yahoo group: __**http://groups. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: The Fire in Rose Weasley**

The next few weeks were quite calm. In fact, I didn't see Rose at all besides the classes we had together. Many times I found myself wanting to say something to her. Mind you, nothing pleasant was going to come out of my mouth at this point, and I could never bring myself to do it. I don't think it was consideration for her feelings as much as it was her last words echoing in my head every time she was near. The very fact that she called me a hypocrite drove me up the wall. Who did she think she was, tossing accusations left and right like that?

And though I wanted to hate those words—and I pretended as though I did—something deep down knew what she said was the truth. This only made me even angrier with her. She thought that she was so perfect and brilliant at whatever she did. Who was she to accuse me of assuming while she did the same to me! She was just a bloody brown nose with famous parents. She had no layers, nothing unique about her.

And so, summer had moved into fall, and so the hot air was replaced with a cool breeze. The leaves were changing from green to yellow and orange and were starting to fall from the trees. I was sitting on a bench in the front courtyard taking pictures of the students passing by, when I was interrupted by flash of red hair colliding with me—and my camera—and knocked me to the ground. I looked to see not Rose, but her younger brother, Hugo. I scowled and stood up to dust myself off. Hugo got up as well and picked up what remained of my camera and handed it to me.

"I—er—sorry…I didn't mean to. I tripped over that root…" the third year stuttered, avoiding my eyes.

I gave him a curt nod and turned away with my now useless camera, giving everyone I met a scornful look as I made my way down to the common room. As soon as I arrived, I went into my dormitory and examined the damage. The front lens had completely parted itself from the rest of the camera, and the film inside had rolled off into the mud. I had no way to fix it and I tossed it into my trunk, still scowling about what had happened. I had no way of getting a new one, either. As I've said, my dad wasn't very supportive of my interests, and he wouldn't have anything to do with them. And so, heavy hearted, I went down to the library to get a Potions Essay finished.

When I entered, I immediately saw Rose with two of the Potter clan talking with each other. When they looked up and saw me, they lowered their voices and looked away again. Shrugging this off, I moved towards the back table to start my essay. As I was writing, I heard footsteps and I assumed that Rose and the others were leaving and I looked up. Instead I see Albus walking towards me, his jaw clenched and his eyes set. He pulled a chair up and pulled the quill from my hand. I stared at him with the same straight face as he was giving me. After a moment, Albus cleared his throat.

"Rose told me about your argument," he said quietly, still staring intently at me. "She told me how much of an ass you were to her."

"And she sent you over here to defend her?" I replied coolly, also not averting my gaze.

"She asked me to talk to you," Albus admitted, "but I'm not here to defend her. She's strong enough to do that herself, and she didn't ask me to."

"And what did she ask you to speak to me about then, Potter?" I questioned, my patience faltering.

"She doesn't want to speak to you again, and she wants you to know that what you said was unforgivable," Potter said to me.

"Who said I was apologizing?" I retorted, my eyes blazing. "What makes her think she can make the rules? I can bloody talk to her if I want to!"

"I'm just telling you what she said. And to be quite frank with you, I don't think it'd be best if you were to ignore what she said," he replied.

"Oh? Well, I didn't ask your opinion on this," I paused, waiting for a reaction. When he said nothing, I continued. "Is there something else you want or can I actually do what I came here for?"

"That's it, Malfoy. Remember what I said, just leave her alone." Albus stood and walked away, and I saw Rose say something to him.

I shook my head, now even more annoyed by this Weasley girl. She never stopped did she? She couldn't just toss her ego out the window for five seconds and act like a human being! No, she had to send her cousin, or whatever the hell he was, to talk to me. I watched as Albus and James left the library, leaving her alone to read. Determined to tell her exactly what I thought about this whole ordeal, I moved towards her table and pulled out a chair, slamming my hand on the smooth surface. Rose jumped from her chair with a squeak, and when she saw it was me…well, if looks could kill, I'd be dead.

Instead of leaving, I smirked down at her as I offered her my hand. She just glared at me and pushed herself up with her elbows and edged towards me. "Wipe that smile off your face, Malfoy," she hissed. "I thought Albus made it clear to you that you are to leave me alone."

"Oh, he did," I replied, still giving her that indifferent smile.

"Then why are you here trying to talk to me?" she asked, clearly trying hard not to show how angry she was becoming.

"I wanted to let you know that I don't agree with this deal," I answered simply.

"What do you mean? You really don't have a choice," she snapped, her brows furrowing.

"Well, usually when you make a deal with someone, both persons must agree on it, correct?" I asked, waiting for her response. She nodded her head slowly, as if still grasping what I was saying. "And," I continued, "I don't believe that we both agree on this arrangement. So that would mean that the "deal" wouldn't be in actual effect. So I really don't have to stop associating with you at all."

As she heard these last words, her jaw clenched slightly and before I knew what was happening, she had slapped me across the face and stormed from the room. I sat there dumbfounded, rubbing my stinging cheek with my hand. I hadn't expected her to do that. Perhaps there was some unknown fire in Rose Weasley that I didn't know about. And, as I picked up my things from my table, I smiled inwardly. I knew I'd gotten to her, and that was exactly what I wanted to happen.

_Author's Note: Remember, check out the yahoo group at: __**http://groups. to keep up with the next update!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Mysterious Dancing Girl**

"Everyone with permission to go to Hogsmeade come over here! Those who do not must stay behind," cried Professor Longbottom from the entrance courtyard.

I leaned against the wall, watching as the other students hurried towards him so they could get on their way to Hogsmeade. I smiled to myself as I thought about how much people assumed I was missing by not going. Personally, I enjoyed roaming around the almost empty castle, finally getting that peace and quiet I longed for.

I stood there on that wall until the last student left. It was as if none of those students were ever there, running and talking avidly to each other. All that you could hear were the birds chirping and the small breeze blowing past. I made my way down to the lake and sat down by an overlarge walnut tree. A strong gust of wind flew by, causing the remaining leaves to blow across the lake.

This was my sanctuary; my home away from home. This—the leaves blowing, the sweet smell of grass reaching my nose, a nice tree to lean against—was the main reason I even returned to Hogwarts. If it wasn't for the outdoors, I don't think I'd have been here all these years. After all, I didn't have any friends, no real interests except taking pictures, and well—no, that wasn't true anymore. I had Rose to drive mad, now. I laughed to myself. She was some kind of companion, I supposed. Not my first choice, but she actually gave me the time of day, which was different.

It was strange, though. Why did she come up to me that day? What was she intending to do? She couldn't possibly have wanted to get to know me. That was just not done here. But what if she was actually being friendly? My reaction wasn't that pleasant, and this made me feel slightly guilty. No, I wasn't guilty. It was just a normal reaction to something like that. She should have expected it. I surely would have if I had walked up to her, so what makes her any different?

The wind was blowing harder now. I could feel its crisp cold against my face, and my hair flew in all directions. I shivered slightly and pulled my cloak closer to me. I felt a droplet slide down my cheek and I looked up at the sky. The clouds were grey and dark, threatening lightening and rain at any moment. As if on cue, rain came pouring down, drenching me instantly. Instead of running up to the castle to try and stay dry, I sat there, watching each droplet fall down on the lake.

I saw a figure in the distance dancing with the rain, and I strained to get a better look. As the figure came closer, I knew it was a girl, and I couldn't help but watch. She was laughing and singing all alone. No friends, no family, no one at all. Just her and her joyful spirit. And as she danced, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. It was as if my eyes were made to stare at her and only her. I realised at this moment that it'd be a perfect photograph to add to my album and looked down to reach for where my camera always hung. Immediately, I remembered my camera had broken and I was disappointed. When I looked back up, the girl was nowhere to be found. Slightly confused, my eyes moved around, searching for any sign of this mystery girl. Finding no one, I decided it was time I went inside and dragged my damp self up to the castle.

"What do you mean you—" Rose's friend Susan screeched while they were working on their potion the following day.

"Shh. He's right over there. Be quiet!" Rose hissed, interrupting Susan and dodging her eyes in a general direction that I couldn't see.

Susan lowered her voice, and I couldn't hear the rest of their conversation. I shrugged and turned back to concocting my potion. Every few minutes I would hear a gasp from their table, and I laughed to myself. After an extremely large noise coming from Susan's mouth, I looked over to see both of them staring at me. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, I turned away, but not before both of their gazes dodged in any direction but mine. I knew something was going on, but I didn't think much about it.

Potions was soon over and I hurried to the Great Hall for lunch. As I entered, a whiff of warm bread, sausages, and apple pie greeted me. I filled my plate with food and ate quickly, as I wanted to be sure to go to the library and see if there were any books on fixing Muggle cameras. As I ate, I felt someone watching me and looked around in search for the person behind this. I saw no one that happened to be looking at me, so I finished the last of my pie and left the Great Hall.

On my way to the library, someone came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I stopped and turned around to see Albus Potter standing there with a smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" I demanded as I started walking again.

"Oh nothing," he replied breezily. "I had a chat with Rose today."

"And you're telling me this why? I've left her alone," I replied, glaring at him. "Why can't _you_ leave _me_ alone?"

"She told me something," Albus said, with a hint of mystery in his voice. "Something I think you should know."

"I really don't have time for this. Go away, will you?" I snapped in reply, growing tired of talking to him.

"Fine, but it's your loss," he told me. "Good day, Malfoy."

As he left, I somehow found myself wondering what he was going to tell me. I shook this though off immediately. I didn't care what he was going to say. He was probably just trying to mess with my mind. Stupid Potter. I continued on my way to the library. It was empty when I got there, so I took my time searching for my book. Soon I heard someone clear their throat and turned to see Rose behind me. I coldly acknowledged her presence and turned back to the shelf I was looking through.

"Scorpius? Can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked me. I ignored her and moved down another aisle. She, of course, followed behind me. "Malfoy, please, I really need to ask you something."

I turned to her with a clear sign on my face that I really didn't want her wasting my time. "Don't worry; it'll only take a moment. I—you know Susan, right?"

"Somewhat, yes," I replied, turning back to a shelf. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

"No, um…how well do you know her?" she asked. I looked at her curiously.

"Weasley, out with it. I'm in the middle of something, if you didn't notice," I snapped, my patience waning every time she spoke.

"Well, she was just wondering if…you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with her sometime," Rose told me. It took everything in me not to laugh out loud.

Susan…well, she's annoying, and unpleasant. She has no brains (if she does, she certainly lost it somewhere), and above all, she doesn't care about anyone but herself. To think that of all people _she_ was the one who decided to be friendly to me, well…that really doesn't surprise me.

"No," I replied, moving away to another section.

Rose followed once more.

"Why not? She really likes you," she told me.

"I don't like her," I answered in a bored voice. "She's annoying."

"She's a good person, Malfoy," Rose hissed, peering at me. "You should be grateful that anyone wants to be within a hundred feet of you!"

"You're one to talk, Weasley," I replied dryly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she snapped back.

"You know what it means," I told her. "After all, you have one brain more than Susan does."

"You're such a jerk! I don't even know why I let Susan talk me into this. She deserves better than you, that's for sure." Rose brushed past me and out the door.

I stood, watching her go, still laughing at the thought of being with Susan as I finally found my book.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Realisations**

The week after that incident, I was sitting in my Astronomy classroom, listening as Professor Jade explained the new assignment that would require us to be with partners. I scowled at this, looking around at the people who could potentially be my partner for this. There was Robert (he was duller than box of quills), Susan (I swore on my life that if I was paired with her that I'd transfer to Durmstrang), James (I'd prefer not to associate with the Potters…), Helen (she wasn't too bad, I suppose), Dalia (she was from Ravenclaw and I didn't know her all that well), Harold (also duller than a box of quills) and then there was Rose. I knew that if I was paired with her she'd tear my eyes out, and I certainly wouldn't want that experience to happen. After thinking about it for a moment, I had no other choice to hope I was pair with Helen.

"Alright, class. Here are your partners! Susan and James, Robert and Dalia, Helen and Harold, and…Rose and Scorpius," Professor Jade cried out with a smile. "Everyone meet with your partners and start mapping out your own constellation!"

I looked over at Rose, and I could practically feel my eyes being ripped from their sockets. I cringed and turned away. I would have even taken Susan over Rose, and now I was stuck with the person who hated me more than my father hated happy people, and that was saying something. Instead of moving over to where she was now sitting, waiting for me, I stayed where I was. I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of making me move when she could just as easily come to where I am.

"Scorpius, please meet with Rose," Professor Jade gently said to me.

I glared at Rose, who had a smile across her face for succeeding. I rolled my eyes and took my sweet time getting over to where she was impatiently waiting.

"Let's just get this over with," I said to her.

"Agreed," she replied.

"Your mum honestly said that in front of your cousins? That's embarrassing!" I cried rather loudly.

Rose and I were the last to finish, we had to stay late in class. She had pulled two butterbeers out of her bag, we got sugar rushed and then we got to talking about everything and nothing. It was strange. We never really had a civil conversation before, let alone one that lasted longer then five minutes. And as much as I wanted to say I hated it, I really could find no way to. I never realized how nice it was to have conversations with people. It was different, and to tell you the truth, I probably wouldn't mind doing it again.

"I know! My mum is mad! Even worse than my dad sometimes," she laughed back to me.

"Well, at least your parents are easy-going. My dad is uptight. He wants to be sure I do well at Hogwarts, but you want to know something? I don't really want an official job cooped up in an office. I want to travel the world, take pictures," I told her.

"Wow…and your parents wouldn't support that?" she asked me.

"If anything, they'd disown me," I replied glumly. "They want me to do well with my N.E.W.T.S and work at the ministry like dad."

"Well, you do what you're passionate about. Who cares what your parents think?" she said happily. "You don't need their support."

"If I don't have their's, then whose do I have? I don't really know anyone else close enough," I asked, giving her a sceptical look.

"You have mine," she answered. "I can be your friend."

At this moment, something in me clicked, as if I had a switch on my back controlling whether I was nice or not. "I don't need friends," I said in a mere whisper.

"Everyone needs friends, Scorpius, even you. Why is it that every time we get too close you pull away? Why can't you just accept the fact that I want to get to know you and be friends?" she demanded of me, trying to reach for my hand.

I snapped it back, glaring. "Why do _you_ assume that I want your friendship? I don't need your pity, Rose."

"It's not pity, and it's not some long dare I have going with my cousins. It's not out of sadness, or just out of popularity. I _want _to know you, Scorpius. Do you understand this?" she hissed out, now looking frustrated.

"I do, but I don't believe that," I whispered.

"Why? Why can't you believe it? I'm laying it out clear here for you!"

"How can you even ask that question, Rose? How can I ever trust or believe what anyone says to me? All of the things that have happened in the past affect that, you above all people should understand that," I explained to her.

"I'm trying, I really am. But why can't you trust me? I'm so open with you about everything, even my family life," she told me.

"Open with me? You aren't, that's the whole point. You expect me to pour my life out to you and you can't tell me anything beyond simple things that you could tell anyone. You don't express yourself, Rose. Now do you understand why I always assumed that you were perfect as a newly grown flower? You never gave me anything to think otherwise."

She was close to tears now, and I could tell she was fighting them back. She bit her lip, and I took her hand. "Rose, when you're ready to break that wall that's stopping you from really knowing me, you let me know." I placed her hand on her leg and stood. I took one look back at a now crying red-haired girl, and part of me wanted to go back and comfort her. But I knew I couldn't, and sauntered away, breathing deeply as I went.

When I arrived at my dormitory, I found my owl sitting on the ledge of the window. I knew what was coming, and I took the letter off of her leg, and she flew off into the distance. I read the envelope, which had my father's formal handwriting on it with a Ministry stamp on it and tossed it aside. I knew exactly what it said, and I wasn't in the mood to read it. Instead, I moved towards the ledge and sat down, staring at the stars. For a brief moment, I saw a formation of a young girl, and she seemed to be dancing. Something clicked, and I remembered the girl from that Hogsmeade weekend, dancing and singing in the rain. I knew I had recognised her from somewhere, and I knew who it was now. It was Rose.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: All Hallows Eve

After this realization, I started to wonder who Rose really was; it was almost as if she was hiding behind that bright, happy smile she wore permanently across her face. There was something more to this girl and something inside me wanted to find out what it was. I wasn't sure why, but it wasn't curiosity anymore. It was more of a want now, almost a desire to unravel the mystery that was Rose. And so, with this in mind, I figured that I should probably stay as far away from her as I could and wait for her to come to me. She was bound to…right?

It was the day of Halloween—my least favourite holiday—and I had just entered my Defence against the Dark Arts class when a paper airplane flew by me. I caught it in mid air, and as I crumpled it up, I felt the whole classes' eyes focused on me. This made me slightly uncomfortable, and I made my way to my seat. I could hear the whispers of the other students, but I tried to pay no attention to them. The rest of the class went on with no other occurrences, and I was given another essay for homework that night, due the following day. When I arrived at the Great Hall, I filled my plate with food, ready to listen to what the other students were going to do that night for Halloween. I was sitting beside Simon Hamm, who was bragging to his friends rather loudly about how he had nicked a few bottles of mead from the kitchens that morning.

"Brilliant work, Simon! A perfect start to our Halloween night," his friend, Peter Hayes, replied a little quieter to him.

"What are we going to do with it?" Roger Banks asked the two.

Instead of answering, Simon whacked him on the back of his head and stood to leave, Peter following behind. Roger looked after them, rubbed his head in pain and hurried off to catch up. I shook my head, laughing slightly. They always assumed that they were so much better than everyone else was. If anything, they were much worse than everyone else was, but no one agreed with me on this. I knew I should have been worried that they were going to be drinking that night, but I had so much else on my mind I didn't think much of it.

Later that day I was in my dormitory when I found a letter on the edge of my bed. I realised immediately that I had forgotten all about my dad's letter. I knew I should open it, but I really didn't want to. After much debate, I realised I really had no choice, and I ripped open the envelope and read the contents.

_Scorpius,_

_Your mother and I have been talking, and we were thinking of going on a nice vacation to America. When I spoke to the head Auror about this, he immediately suggested that I work out there. Apparently there are a few things we need to smooth over. Since you are at Hogwarts, we wouldn't want to pull you away from your schoolwork. Your mother had the brilliant idea of you staying with one of our friends over the various vacations, since we're not entirely sure how long we'll be away. It could be a few months, or even a year. We'll send word to a few people to see who'd be happy to have you stay, and then we'll let you know when Christmas comes closer. That's all for now. Be sure to keep up with your schoolwork, son. _

_Sincerely,_

_Dad_

I grimaced, not at all happy about this arrangement. Of course I didn't have any say for what I wanted to do. Of course they wouldn't let me go with them. I had to "keep up with my schoolwork." I rolled my eyes and slammed my fist down on the bed, leaving a slight indent in the covers. I threw the letter in my trunk and wondered what miserable family they'd send me to this time. My parents were constantly off somewhere doing something. I'd always end up with a distant relative who smelled slightly of old socks and mouldy soup. I cringed, remembering my stay with grandma's old friend Polly rather well, unfortunately.

See, my parents were away on some kind of vacation work thing in Spain, so I was left with Polly. She was an old, fickle, smelly woman with literally no teeth and no communication skills what so ever. She bonded with only one species, and that was her fifty cats. She'd groom them constantly, which only caused the entire house to look as if it were made by fur. I swear, every nook and cranny was COVERED with those stupid cats' fur. Not only were they shedding cats, they were at least twenty pounds each, with squished in faces and angry eyes. I don't think I saw them even move once. So anyway, there really wasn't room for me to begin with, but she insisted that I'd stay. I ended up down in the cellar with only one small candle and at least ten cats all over me. She didn't really have any food, so she fed me cat food and milk the entire summer. Not one of my happier days, I'll admit.

Shaking those awful memories from my mind, I pulled my broken camera from my trunk and the book I had gotten from the library earlier that day, attempting to fix my camera. I spent quite a few hours working on it, using every spell I could think of to fix it, but to no avail. The sun had long since disappeared, and I could hear loud, happy voices opposite the door. I knew everyone would be wild tonight and I didn't want to be apart of it. So, grabbing a few things to keep me busy (a few essays I had due the next day) and a candle, I moved through the partying students and made my way to the walnut tree. It was quiet now; only crickets and a few birds could be heard. I took a breath of fresh air, and instead of working, I watch the moon glisten against the still water, wishing I could take a picture.

All of a sudden, the day I saw Rose dance popped into my mind. I could see her perfectly now. I could see her smile shining against the rain, and her eyes…her mysterious brown eyes showed differently. They were sad, almost scared or frightened behind that smile. Could she be afraid to be herself? Was she afraid of what people might think of her? I knew at that point I needed to find this out. I don't know why, but part of me needed to know.

As I concluded this, I heard a muffled scream and then laughter coming from the edge of the forest. I looked towards the forest to see a small fire and none other than Simon Hamm and his followers crowded around someone. It was clear that they had a few drinks and they were speaking loudly towards their victim. I edged quietly towards them until I was behind a nearby tree. I tried to see who they were bothering, but I couldn't get a good look.

"Well, little miss perfect. What brings you out here on a night like this? You could get hurt out here, you know," Simon said to the person, smiling mischievously. He looked around at his fellow students, nodding, and they moved in on the person.

The girl screamed, this time louder, and with my wand in hand, ran out to stop them. "Let her go," I demanded, pointing my wand directly at Simon's face.

"We're just having a spot of fun, Malfoy. Surely you'd do the same with such a pretty girl," Simon answered, his eyes flickering towards the still hidden girl. His friends moved out of the way to reveal Rose, who looked helpless and angry.

"Let her go," I demanded again, my eyes fixed on him.

"Or what? You'll throw your Muggle-loving magic at us? Like we're scared of you," he replied with a sneer.

"If I have to, yes. Now let Rose go," I said to him, still not averting my gaze, or the aim of my wand.

"You know her well, don't you?" Simon grabbed her by the arm, much to her dismay, and she tried to wrench free from his grasp.

"Let me go you drunken toad!" she yelped.

"Come on Lone Wolf. Come and get what's yours. Get a taste of the Gryffindor," he went on, a satisfied grin on his face. "What, are you too good for her, just like you are everyone else?"

Anger was boiling inside me now; I had had enough. With a swish of my wand, Simon flew backwards against a tree. His friends saw what I had done and ran off, Simon hurrying after. I stood there, shaking violently, until I fell to the ground and all was dark.

The next thing I knew, I woke up in the hospital wing. I had no idea why, but I found out soon enough when the healer came into the room.

"Good to see you're awake, Scorpius," she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Why am I here?" I asked her.

"You were too stressed out. The blood rushed to your head and you passed out. You'll be fine, but you'll need to rest," she answered. "It's a good thing that Rose found you in that deserted hall. You could have gone into shock."

I was growing tired as we spoke, and my eyes threatened to flutter closed. I forced them to stay open, trying to keep my mind off it.

"How long will I have to stay here?" I asked her.

"Oh, just a few days. Until you can get your strength back," she replied. "Careful now. The potion is going to kick in and you'll fall fast to sleep. Oh, hello, Rose dear."

I looked to see Rose in the doorway of the wing. "Hello Madame Tulip. May I see him now?" she asked.

"Yes, of course. Be quick, now. He'll be asleep soon." Madame Tulip shuffled off to care for another student, leaving me alone with Rose.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me.

'Sleepy," I replied. "What really happened, Rose?"

She smiled slightly, but didn't respond to my question. "That's expected. Well, I just wanted to bring you some Chocolate Frogs. I thought they'd be good for you. I'd better go, I hope you feel better." Rose moved towards the door and was almost gone before I called her name.

"Rose, wait. Whatever happened…well…thank you," I said.

She nodded slightly and left. Before I could think any about this, I felt a rush of drowsiness come over me, and my eyes slowly fell closed.

Author's note: Remember. To keep up with updates, joing the yahoo group!http://groups.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Light Grows Dim**

"The Lone Wolf has risen," a nearby boy says to his friends, causing the group to go into hysterics as I walked down the hall.

I rolled my eyes and continued, ignoring the many comments shot my way as I made my way to the common room. I had just left the hospital wing, and I hadn't been looking forward to the fact that word had most likely gotten around school about my episode. And I wasn't proven wrong; the students were as cruel as ever, and it made me wonder why I even bothered stepping outside. It took so much to stay strong and level when you have so many people laughing and tossing insults directly at you. But I just told myself that they were nothing to me and continued with no problems.

Well, only for a moment. I was passing by a rather large group of Slytherins when I felt something pop in front of me. Soon there were tons of loud pops and sparks around me, and a second too late I realised that they were wizard crackers. They all exploded at once and I sped off to keep from getting injured, hearing a roar of laughter behind me as I went.

"Poor Malfoy, he's just like his father; running away from his problems. Just a sorry old fool," I heard Simon say.

I stopped in my tracks, the blood boiling inside me. I threw my bag on the ground, turned and strode towards them. I closed my hand on my wand, my knuckles whitening. With my jaw clenched and my eyes blazing, I pointed it towards them. Everyone backed off except for Simon, who took out his wand and smirked at me.

He raised his eyebrows, as if daring me to keep moving forward. "What do you think you're doing, Malfoy? You don't honestly think you're going to duel me, do you?"

"So what if I am?" I countered, stopping a few feet in front of him.

"You'd be making a mistake," he snarled.

"No, I don't think I would," I answered. "You insulted my father, and now you have to deal with me."

"Oh, I'm so scared," he said mockingly. "You can't do anything to me, Malfoy. Like I said, you're father was an incompetent coward, and so are you."

This was the last straw. "Expell—"

"Scorpius! No!" a girl's voice shouted at me.

I turned around to see Rose running towards me. "Rose, stay out of this," I snapped.

"Simon, put your wand down and get out of here," she said to him, "or I'll get you kicked off the Quidditch team."

His face fell. "You're safe for now, Malfoy, because of your stupid girlfriend, but I'll get you yet." He ran off with the rest of the group, glaring back at me as he did so.

I hurriedly put my wand back into my pocket and moved towards where my bag lay. I slung it over my shoulder and continued to the common room without a word to Rose. Soon enough, I could hear hurrying footsteps and then she was by my side.

"Scorpius, what were you thinking?" she demanded. "You just got out of the hospital wing, and now you're off getting in another fight?"

I stopped in my tracks and glared at her. "Well, I wouldn't have been in the hospital wing if it wasn't for you!"

She looked down at her shoes like a helpless little puppy. I frowned slightly and put my hand on her shoulder. "Look, I appreciate all you've done, but I don't need your help any more. So you can go back to whatever group of friends you belong to and leave me to be the Lone Wolf again."

"I didn't do anything for you," she replied. "It's you who helped me."

"What are you talking about?" I asked her, and all of a sudden, Halloween night flashed through my mind.

She smiled up at me. "Yesterday morning, when you thanked me, well I never had the chance to tell you. It wasn't you who should have been thanking me; I should have been thanking you." She took my hand in hers and stared me straight in the eyes.

"When I saw you fall to the ground, I was afraid they had killed you with wandless magic or something. I was afraid…well, anyway. I went to the hospital wing this morning to thank you, but you'd gone already. When I found you yet again fighting, I had to repay you for what you did," she explained, looking away.

When she turned back, sadness enveloped her deep brown eyes, and she couldn't hide her feelings inside anymore.

I stayed silent, listening to what she was saying. When I didn't comment, she continued. "Something has been bothering me, Scorpius. Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" I asked her, slightly confused.

"Defend me. When you saw it was me, you could have left," she answered.

"They were giving you trouble. I'd have helped anyone in that situation."

She didn't seem convinced but she said no more about it. We started walking again now and we were completely silent all the way to the dungeons. I was starting to wonder why she was still there with me, and I was about to ask her before she realized this herself. After a quick smile, she hurried off passed a few unhappy looking Slytherins and out of sight.

Had this all really happened? It just seemed so unreal, so different. I wasn't used to this and I wasn't sure I wanted to get used to it. It seemed, lately, we were actually—dare I say it—friends? I shook off this thought immediately, knowing that could never be true.

Soon enough, December had come, and the warmer weather was slowly turning cold and icy. The golden red leaves had now fallen, leaving lifeless branches swaying with the cold wind. Snow had already left its frosty blanket over the castle, the winter sun causing it to shimmer. November had proved to be a stressful month, Simon and the others bothering me every chance they got. I learned that staying outside was best, and that's what I did.

I hadn't spoken with Rose since that November morning, and I suppose it was just as well. I presumed she had realised I was right and went back to her friends, and I was just fine with it. Well, that's what I wanted to believe. Truth be told, I was a little lonely. Our encounters had grown on me, and it was nice having someone to talk to besides myself. But now that they had stopped, it was hard to get used to. I wasn't going to say that I missed her, but it wasn't far from it.

I was in the Great Hall for breakfast when the owls flew through. The Daily Prophet and a small letter dropped in front of me and my owl flew off again. On the front page of the Daily Prophet were a smiling Harry Potter and a news story about how he captured an old Death Eater. I rolled my eyes and tossed it aside, reaching for the letter next. It had the official stamp of the Ministry and the return address read Boston, Massachusetts. My parents had apparently made it overseas all right. I quickly opened the letter, wondering what news they had for me.

_Scorpius,_

_Your mother and I were informed by Madame Tulip that you were in the hospital wing last month. We do hope it didn't interfere any with your studies because it's very important that you keep up with them. Anyway, the reason we've written to you is to let you know whom you will be staying with during Christmas. We contacted many family members who just couldn't find the space for you to stay with them, so we've had to get in touch with old school mates. Many have moved to different areas and weren't able to keep you either. I had no other choice but to speak with Harry Potter and he's agreed that you will stay with them. _

_It was very generous for him to do so, so don't make him regret it, son. I know what your relationship with his boys are, and I will not tolerate any misconduct on your part. You will be respectful, and if I hear otherwise, I will not hesitate to take away all your silly Muggle gadgets. If I was even half of what my father was, I'd have taken them away long ago, so watch yourself. When the train arrives at King's Cross Station, look for Ginny, Harry's wife. She'll be there to take you to their home. _

_Sincerely,_

_Dad _

_P.S. __Please give the additional piece of paper to Professor Zabini._

Another small piece of paper fell from the letter and I made note to go to the Owlry to get Fairy, my owl, to deliver it to the Professor. As soon as I finished eating, I decided I may as well go up to the Owlry now before I forgot. On the way, something was bothering me about this whole situation. I just couldn't understand that of all people, I would have to stay with the Potters. It certainly didn't help that Albus and James both hated me with an undying passion, but then again, the feeling was mutual. What I didn't understand even more was why I couldn't just stay at Hogwarts during Christmas vacation. It just didn't make any sense. But since when had my parents made any sense?

I was now in the Owlry, and I searched around for a sign of a sooty black owl, spotted her immediately. She flew over to me, eyeing my pockets in hope for food; I smiled and fed her an owl treat, which she gobbled down instantly. I quickly tied the note to her leg, promising to be here when she got back to give her another treat, and she flew off through a window. I was about to move up the stairs when I heard two voices, and decided against it. Instead, I slipped out of sight and listened.

"Look at it Rose," a voice I recognized as James said in an irritated voice. "Did you read what it says?"

"Yes," she snapped. "So what?"

"So what?! Bloody Scorpius is spending Christmas with us, Rose! He'll be in the same house with us and everything. You wouldn't be saying so what if you were in my situation," he told her.

"Yes, I would. Honestly, it's not a huge deal, James. I'm sure Albus would be a little nicer about it than you are," she said tiredly.

"I doubt that, Rose. What are we going to do about this? I will not stay in the same house with him. Why can't he stay somewhere where people will actually like him? Oh, wait, that couldn't be possible. No one _does_ like him," James growled.

"Oh honestly. You speak of him as if he's Voldemort or something. He's just a person, same as us. I actually prefer him over you sometimes, cousin," she said.

There was silence for a moment, and I wondered if they were leaving, but I heard no footsteps. After a moment, they continued.

"What do you see in him anyway?" James questioned.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I always see you talking to him about something or other, whether you're arguing or just talking in class. Why is that?" James asked in a slightly disturbed voice, as if it was against the law to speak to me or something.

"What's wrong with talking to someone?" Rose asked innocently.

"Nothing, if you're talking to a normal person. But you're talking to Scorpius Malfoy, Rose. Or have you forgotten all the stories your dad would tell about his father? He's off limits, especially to you, seeing as you've taken a liking to him lately. If Uncle Ron knew what you were doing—"

"What am I doing that's so bad? Dad would be happy I've made good friends for a change. He doesn't care about his rivalries with his father anymore! That's history. It's time to make a change, don't you think?" she said.

There was a silence again and James cleared his throat. "Whatever, Rosie. If he wasn't something to be ashamed of, why haven't you told your parents yet?"

I heard footsteps and quickly hid behind a pillar as James disappeared from the Owlry. Shortly after, Rose came into view; she too exited, looking as if someone slapped her across the face. I wasn't entirely sure what I was missing here, but I was sure it was something. I didn't really understand what James meant. Rose and I weren't friends, and he should have known that. Just because we talked didn't mean anything. And still my father's past yet again came back to haunt me. I didn't know why I couldn't be accepted anywhere just because of who my father was. It was strange to me, and I knew that I wouldn't be enjoying my time in the least, staying with the Potters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Happy Holidays…or not**

Soon enough, the week before Christmas had arrived, and I found myself in a compartment alone as the train slowed to a stop. The train jerked forward and then stopped moving. I took a deep breath to calm myself, grabbed my trunk, and left the train in search for the woman my father had described to me. I didn't see any sign of red hair, and I was starting to worry that this was some horrible joke someone was playing on me. I felt a tap on my shoulder and jumped back in alarm, knocking whoever was behind me to the ground.

"WATCH IT!" James snapped at me as he got up and brushed himself off. "Mum sent me to get you. Now come on, she's over there."

I looked and moved forward, and I swear I heard him mutter, "Prick," before coming beside me. I shook my head and kept forward until I caught sight of Ginny. Those stories Father told me seemed to match her perfectly. Fire-red hair stood out of place in the crowd, and she looked like she had quite a temper. This made me even more intimated as I finally stood to face her. I was worried about her reaction towards me, because I knew that she hated my Father. Instead of glaring at me evilly, she smiled and hugged me in greeting.

"You must be Scorpius," she said to me once she had let go of her tight grasp on me. I nodded, and she smiled. "It's good to meet you. It was a quite a surprise when Harry told me you would be staying with us, but---James, don't make me smack that look off your face. Keep it up and you'll be sleeping with Howler tonight. Goodness, where's your brother gone off to now?"

We were now by their car, which I felt unaccustomed to, as Father never drove anywhere. I felt something swoosh past me and there was Albus, gasping for breath. "Sorry, Mum. Jerry wanted to show me something before he left."

His face fell when his eyes landed on me. He didn't say anything to me, but instead got into the back of the car, James following behind him. I had no choice but to go up front with Mrs. Potter, and I knew then that this was only the beginning of this treatment by Albus and James. The ride to their home was a quiet one, at least, in the backseat. Ginny continually asked me questions about how my Mum and Dad were, what our house was like, and so on. I answered her questions politely, but all I could think about was how horrible it was going to be staying with the Potters, of all people. I think even my grandma's friend, Polly, was better than this.

We soon arrived at the Potter home, and I was immediately surprised by it. I had never been to the Potter's home, and there were rumours that they lived in a castle as big as Hogwarts. I'd almost believed it was true, so when I saw that they lived in a cosy two story home, I had to think whoever started all those rumours were idiots, that was for sure.

Loud barking could be heard in the back of the house, and I saw a large, brown, shaggy dog charge towards us—this must be Howler. I stiffened, slowly stepping away from the running dog. A dog was not my ideal pet, that was for sure. If anything, I was slightly afraid, and evidently, it showed. James started laughing and ordered the dog to come after me. It gleefully moved towards me, panting and wagging its tail as it went. I ran off, and it continued to chase me until at last Mrs. Potter whistled for it to come to her, and thankfully it did. As I walked back to get my trunk, my heart beating faster than the speed of sound, she whacked James across the head and started reprimanding him.

"---You're just like your father, James. Just you wait until Dad gets home and he hears what you've done to Scorpius. Maybe next time you'll think before you decide to do something so incredibly stupid," she said as I came over to them. "James, grab his trunk, he's company. Scorpius, come with me. I'll give you the tour."

After getting a thorough tour of the house, Mrs. Potter set us down for tea, James sulking all the while. Mr. Potter soon arrived and Ginny motioned to him to follow her into the other room, no doubt to speak to him about me. When they had left the room, James turned to me.

"I don't even know why your father would decide to leave you here! Can't you just go with your own kind and leave us alone?" he snapped at me.

I remained calm, staring intently at a portrait on the wall. I heard a whack and turned around to see Albus pushing his brother to the ground.

"You idiot! Yes, he is Malfoy's son, and yes, Dad hates his father, but that doesn't give you any right to treat him like scum. That doesn't make you any better than his father was. He's staying here for Christmas and you'd better get used to it. I don't like it anymore than you do, but trying to make it work is better than having him ruin your Christmas by being such an ass," Albus told him, his hand grabbed tightly against James' shirt.

James nodded slightly and shoved his brother off of him, storming upstairs angrily. What he said surprised me. I never expected him to yell at his brother for bothering me. If anything, I assumed he'd do the same. This side of Albus was new to me, and it made me wonder who he really was. Harry and Ginny soon appeared from the kitchen, searching around for James.

"Where'd he go?" Mr. Potter asked.

"He went upstairs to unpack his things," Albus answered, eyeing me strangely, as if giving me some kind of signal.

"Oh, all right. I'll just speak to him after supper, then," he replied. He then turned to me, giving me a slight smile. "I expect you must be Scorpius, yes?"

I nodded, suddenly feeling slightly ashamed by my name. I brushed a hand through my hair and shifted my feet uncomfortably.

"Well, it's nice to have you here. If you'd like, feel free to walk around and get a look at the place. Has Ginny shown you your room yet?" he questioned.

"Yes, sir," I mumbled.

"No need for that," he replied with a wave of his hand. "If you'll excuse me, I have some work to finish."

Mr. Potter left the room hurriedly, and Mrs. Potter smiled. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine. I think I'll just have another look around, if that's all right," I replied.

"Of course, go right ahead. If you need anything, feel free to let me know."

I started towards the stairs when I realised something, "Mrs. Potter?"

"Yes?" she answered.

"Would you happen to have a Muggle camera around?" I asked her.

"Actually, I believe we do. My dad collects Muggle artefacts, and my mum couldn't fit any more junk—excuse me, _items_—around their house, so she stores a lot of it here. I'll go and fetch it for you. It's just in the attic on one of the shelves…." she explained.

"That's all right. I can find it all right, but thank you."

She nodded, but stared at me confusedly as I walked up the stairs up to the attic. The house was quite big inside, despite how it looked on the outside, everything clean and spotless. Portraits in perfect positions, almost as if they were measured perfectly to fit just right on to the wall. The floors were hardwood and so shiny I could see my reflection. After two more sets of stairs, I finally arrived in the attic, and what I saw there surprised me. Unlike the rest of the house, everything was dusty and full of cobwebs. Boxes upon boxes were piled on top of each other and scattered all over the room. There was a single shelf piled with smaller things and I moved towards it. After sifting through many an item, I had found the camera in almost perfect condition.

I was content, finally having something to do this vacation instead of having to spend it being around James and Albus. I quickly went outside and strolled around the grounds, taking pictures of anything and everything. I had my camera pointed at the sunset, trying to get a good angle, when I bumped into something—er, someone, actually. I turned around to see a redheaded girl sitting on the ground, rubbing her side painfully. When she looked up, she smiled and I offered her my hand. The girl was about six or so, and I assumed she was Lily, the youngest of the Potter children.

"Who are you?" she asked as I pulled her up. Her eyes were large and emerald green and looked confused.

"I'm Scorpius Malfoy," I answered. "I, ah, am staying with you and your family over Christmas."

"Oh," she replied in a singsong voice. "My Mum told me about that. Are my brothers here?"

"Yeah, they're inside," I told her.

"I wonder if they'll show me any new magic!" she replied excitedly. She skipped off, waving goodbye as she went.

I continued to take pictures until it was dark and then went inside. I was walking down the hall passed the dining room when I saw the whole family sitting around the table. It was a warm setting, everyone laughing and chatting with each other. It was different from my family, that was for sure. We hardly ever sat together at the dinner table, and my dad was always away on some sort of business trip. Family wasn't something that I really experienced on a daily basis, and I was envious of what James and Albus had. I continued up the stairs and into my room to go to sleep. I had had a long day.

Almost a week had past by the time it was the day before Christmas. Most of that week I had spent to myself, not really feeling all that connected with the rest of the family. Mr. Potter was always gone in the mornings and did not return until about five o'clock, James and Albus always went to their cousin's house, and Mrs. Potter often left with Lily to the park or the like. This often left me alone, but it was just as well.

Ginny was decorating the Christmas tree that morning with Lily when I came downstairs. "Mal—I mean, Scorpius—would you hand me that angel sitting on the sofa? I can't quite reach it from over here."

"Sure," I replied, handing her the angel that went on top of the tree.

"Thank you," she climbed down from the little ladder and stood back to view the result of all her hard work. "Well, that's finished. Now I have to cook dinner and decorate the rest of the house and wrap the kids' presents and get ready for the party…"

"Do you need any help?" I asked her.

"Um, if you wouldn't mind decorating the hallways, that'd be great. The decorations are on the sofa, along with everything else you may need. Thank you so much, Scorpius. I appreciate it," she said to me.

I nodded and grabbed all of the stuff, heading towards the stairwell. "Oh, Scorpius. You'll be at the party, right? We'd love it if you'd join us."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there."

Over two hours later, I had finally finished decorating the house with Christmas decorations. I walked into the sitting room to the smell of ham and wandered into the kitchen to see Mrs. Potter shuffling around all over the place, stirring and moving pots all over. She finally stopped and slumped in a nearby chair, sighing heavily.

"It amazes me that my mother could do this every year. I don't know who decided I was hosting the party this year, but I'll kill them," she said more to herself then to anyone else. She looked up and saw me, smiling. "Didn't see you there, Scorpius. Have you by chance seen James or Albus anywhere? They need to be getting their dress robes on soon."

"The last time I saw them, they were shovelling snow out of the walkway," I replied. This wasn't entirely true. They were using magic, but I thought it best not to be a snitch in their own house. Their mum would find out sooner or later anyways.

"Still? Those boys are probably fooling around again. Well, can you get them for me? Tell them to get their dress robes on. And you, too. The family will be here soon!"

I went outside, the cold meeting my skin and causing me to shiver. I saw James and Albus talking to each other, and when they saw me, they dropped their shovels and walked towards me.

"Your mum wants you to get ready for the party," I told them. They nodded in compliance and went inside.

"Ginny dear, it's just wonderful!" Molly Weasley cried. "You've outdone yourself this year!"

"Thanks mum," she answered.

Her mum was the first to arrive along with her brothers and it was already getting too loud in the house. I moved towards the tree and surveyed the room. On the left there was a large table full of drinks and food, all decorated with tinsel. Actually, everything was covered in tinsel, almost as if it was snowing tinsel inside the house or something. The room had been charmed to increase in size to fit the amount of people apparently coming. The doorbell rang, and I moved towards the door and opened it. Standing in front of me was a smiling Rose, a woman with bushy hair and a tall man with fiery-red hair who I assumed were her parents, and Hugo, her brother. They gave me slightly confused looks, but smiled and entered. Rose still stood there, still smiling.

"Hey Scorpius," she greeted. "What are you doing out and about?"

"Your aunt invited me to join the party," I answered, still standing in the doorway. "You sound surprised. Why is that?"

"I don't know. I didn't expect you to actually come, that's all. Scorpius?" she asked.

"Yeah?" I answered, anticipating some kind of personal question.

"Can you move out of my way so I can through?" she wondered.

I smiled sheepishly. "Oh, right. Yeah, sorry."

She smiled and went through the doorway, leaving me to look incredibly stupid standing alone. I shut the door and moved back towards the tree, watching as everyone chatted happily with each other.

"Scorpius," Rose said, coming up to me with her parents. "I'd like you to meet my parents. Mum, dad, meet Scorpius."

I shook their hands in greeting. "It's nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

"Please, call us by our names, Ron and Hermione. You're Draco Malfoy's son, right?" Mr. Weasley asked me.

I nodded, wondering where he was going with it. "Rosie has told us all about you, Scorpius," Hermione piped in, giving Ron a look.

I looked at Rose, who was blushing slightly. I gave her a small smile, and she returned it. "Well, I'll just leave you two to chat. We best be off to mingle!" Hermione said, pulling Ron away.

"Your parents are nice," I said to her.

"They are," she answered. More people came through the doors, creating more noise inside the house.

"Want to get some fresh air outside?" I asked her.

She nodded and we went outside. It was snowing and the air was crisp and cold. We both didn't think to grab our coats, so we walked down by the little pond, our arms across our chests. We sat down under a nearby tree, moving close together to keep as warm as we could.

"So you told your parents about me, huh? Does this mean we're getting serious then?" I said teasingly.

"Oh hush, Malfoy. I just wanted them to know that you were a good person. That you weren't like your father…that you were different," she replied, smiling.

"They thought I was my father?" I questioned.

"Well, they weren't sure, but of course James had to go and say something to them about us having…an understanding. They were worried that I was hanging around the wrong people. That's why I introduced you to them, so they knew who you were. I'm surprised my dad didn't wring your neck. I think that means he likes you," she explained, laughing.

"He wrings a lot of necks, then?" I asked mockingly.

"More than you know," she answered between laughs.

She looked at me almost longingly, our faces moving closer together, and my heart was beating fast. I could feel her warm breath against my face and our lips were almost touching. I heard a crunch, and realised that someone was walking towards us. I looked and saw that it was James, shivering as he went, and he didn't look happy. Rose noticed this too, and she stood and moved towards him.

"James, what are you doing out here? Does my mum need me?" she asked.

"No, she doesn't," he replied, pushing her aside as he walked in front of my face.

"Then why are you here?" she asked, sounding a little uneasy about what may happen with James's temper.

He moved his face inches from mine, pushing me against the tree. I cursed myself for leaving my wand inside the house. "Just wondering why my cousin is out here with this idiot, about ready to kiss him."

"Who are you talking about, because the only idiot I see around here is you. And so what if I was about to kiss him? It doesn't concern you," she snapped, grabbing his arm in attempt to pull him away.

He flung her away and she landed on the hard, snow covered ground. "I thought I said not to talk to him anymore! He's not like us, he's a freak!"

I shoved him off of me and punched him in the face. "I'm NOT a freak! And don't you push Rose around like that. You don't have that right."

He grabbed his face in pain and then ran towards me. I ducked and he slammed against a tree. He came from behind and pushed me hard to the ground, punching me square in the jaw. I touched my lips and felt hot blood trickle down the side of my face. I stood up and jumped to push him, but he flung me against the same tree he had slammed against just moments before. I winced in pain, trying hard to get up, but I couldn't. James continued to punch me, some sort of satisfaction appearing on his face.

"James, stop it! Stop!" Rose cried out to him. "You'll kill him!"

Blow after blow came to my face, and I could feel myself falling away into darkness. I struggled to keep my eyes open, and struggled even more to try and break free. I heard Rose start crying and a scream in the distance, and then footsteps coming closer. I felt a weight being pulled off of me, and I saw shadows surrounding me. I was carried inside, into a room and laid down on a bed. I saw Rose's face one last time before everything went dark.


End file.
